


Wrong words

by GiveThemARest_WaitNo



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Bank Robbery, Gen, Hurt Spencer Reid, hostages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-07-29 12:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7685065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiveThemARest_WaitNo/pseuds/GiveThemARest_WaitNo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team investigates a psychologically damaged bank robber. When they arrive at the scene, the Unsub demands an agent to come in. Reid volunteeres.</p><p>Now he has to find the right words to defuse the instable and violent criminal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He knew what he signed up for. But that doesn`t make it any easier. It is one thing to picture yourself walking straight into an armed robbery but quite another when you actually have to bring your legs to move towards the barricaded front door.

Behind him are his team and countless police officers with drawn weapons - watching him. Behind that door is a highly dangerous and delusional criminal, who is prying the door open – just enough that Reid can squeeze in. Once he is inside, the masked man presses the opening of his machine gun to Reid’s temple. Reflexively he raises his empty hands and closes his eyes. It’s always difficult to find the right words. It’s kind of like a game of hangman but you have to guess right in the first go, because if you don’t it’s already game over.

This man, Henry Roland, doesn’t rob banks and hold hostages for the money or the thrill. He is a victim himself. He is forced to continue his father’s legacy. A famous legacy, which involves many high staked bank heists and several dead hostages on the way. His father has forced him from a young age on to accompany his adrenalin trips. But the son has never really adopted his father’s need for thrill and become highly irritable and finally, schizophrenic. One word could tip him off.

 Reid opens his eyes and swallows.  “I’m here to help. I won’t do anything you’re not ok with.”

“Shut up and don’t move!”

The gun is removed from his head and Reid takes a deep breath. The game is afoot. Roland checks Reid for weapons without his trembling hands actually touching the agent’s body. Reid could have easily gotten away with a gun under his safety west. Roland is just ticking a box.

Then back under gun point Reid is lead to the other hostages who are crammed behind the counter. They are all men. Roland sent all the women out when he had begun his heist. Another thing his dad is famous for: he had been a gentleman.

Roland motions for an elderly man to bind Reid’s hands behind his back using plastic handcuffs. The man is very gentle and Reid thanks him with the reassuring nod he practiced in front of his bedroom mirror so many times.

Roland pushes the man down and turns his attention back to Reid. “Now you make them empty their safes!”

A short man in an expensive suit crouching between the hostages raises his head. “There is no other safe! You’ve got all the money, already!” He is rewarded with a burst of bullets to his head and slouches down dead. The men around him shriek away splattered with blood. Reid bites back a terrified yelp.

“See, they’re lying!” the gun is back in Reid’s face. “Now you open the save and no one gets hurt!” His voice is unsteady, stressed. Reid glances towards the bags behind Roland filled with money.

 “Yes. There is no need to hurt anyone. I’m helping you.” How can Reid make him understand? “I’m honest with you, I swear.”

Roland’s face twitches nervously. "Shut up! Just do what I say!"

Of course, he doesn’t believe him. Reid continues anyway, his bound hands sweating.

“See, in the average bank there are only about 20,000 dollars in cash. And assuming that most banks mainly deal with 100 dollar bills and you have two bags of those you might already have all the money in this bank.”

Wrong words. The butt of the gun connects with his unprotected abdomen right below the safety west. His body heaves and struggles for air. He wishes his hands were free to clutch his stomach.


	2. Chapter 2

Slowly his ability to breathe returns. Roland is ranting to nobody in particular and nervously fiddling with his gun. The blood rushing in Reid’s ears is too loud to understand anything. Slowly he forces his body upright resisting the urge to throw up.

“It’s all right,” he croaks turning Roland’s attention back from the gun to him “you don’t have to belief me. We can go and have a look, together.” His eyes stay locked at Roland letting the offer sink in.

_Make him accept that he can trust you. Stay simple. Not too many – but positive – words._

“All right, but don’t you try anything funny!” Roland pushes the gun in Reid’s side motioning him to get going but Reid doesn’t move.

“Wait,” the gun notching him increases its pressure. “We might need a key. Let me try and get it from the bank manager over there.” Reid nods towards the hostages on the ground next to him.

Roland removes the gun from Reid’s aching gut pointing it at a squealing man on the floor to his left. “If you do anything, he is dead!”

Very slowly Reid approaches the manager. His upper body is a mess but Reid can see a bulge in his trouser pocket probably being a set of keys.

“Stop right there!” Reid freezes. Roland is back with the gun poking in his midsection. “You ARE trying something! I will get the keys and you stay right there and don’t move!”

Roland experimentally shoves the manager with his gun. When the man doesn’t move, he seems to feel save to touch him and get the keys. The hostages are watching tensely from as far away as they can manage. Reid can do nothing but watch, too. Any attempt to get their attention would be dangerous and could mean death for the hostage as well. He just has to trust that they will try to flee once he and Roland will leave the room. But they will need some time alone until they will feel save enough.

Finally, Roland stands up with the keys in his hand. Probably they won’t need the keys, because most vaults are secured with electronic locks and don’t even have a Keyhole anymore. Reid waits until Roland is back at his side with the gun pointed at him. “Move!”

_Let him be in charge. Don’t do anything without him being in control of you._

 They enter a door labeled “private” at the back of the room. The hallway is an ordinary office hallway with a few rooms behind glass doors. Reid leads the way with Roland aiming at him from behind.

The vault is probably somewhere underground, but he investigates each room carefully anyway hoping he can distract Roland long enough for the hostages to leave. But with each room Rowland grows more agitated swearing at Reid to look faster.

When he also doesn’t find anything in the last room Roland smashes his gun against the doorframe making chips of wood fly. “This is bullshit! Bring me to the rest of the money now!”

According to Reid’s watch they have been gone for no more than ten minutes – hardly enough time for the hostages to be freed.

“NOW!” Roland raises the gun to Reid’s head “…three…”

This is escalating quickly. Ten more minutes. That’s all he needs…

“…two…”

_Panic._

_His mind is blank._

_“…one…”_

“Don’t. I cannot help you to search when you shoot me.”

“Don’t you get clever with me kid!” Roland presses the trigger.

Reid screams.

Pain.


	3. Chapter 3

After the shock of the impact the pain slowly retracts from his whole burning body to the bullet wound. Soon it’s just his right arm and shoulder throbbing furiously. He must have blacked out for some time, because he finds himself on the floor in the corridor right in front of the stairs.

Roland is leaning against the wall panting hard. He notices Reid groaning and hurries to pick up his gun from the floor. Reid curses himself: the gun has been lying right next to him! He could have grabbed it and… but then again even thinking of moving made him sick for fear of the pain such an endeavor would evoke.

Roland laboriously cleared his throat. “Tell me where the money for fucks sake! Now. I’ll go shooting hostages if you don’t.” His voice is exhausted. He is desperate to get this over with. “I know you’re playing for time and hoping they will be gone by now. But I’m fairly sure that they are still there.”

Reid has lost all sense of time. Roland could very well be right and Reid doesn’t feel like gambling.

“Maybe- ah” he is scooting to the wall hoping its support will help him get to his feet. “Maybe there is more in the vault -” His upper body is propped upright against the wall and he withstands the urge to throw up. “- in some additional safe.” He knows that this sounds unlikely. But he also knows no other way to keep Roland from storming into the lobby right now. Leaning against the wall the nausea subsides and his vision clears.

Roland seems to trust his preposterous suggestion and helps Reid stand. He immediately sacks down again but Roland caches him and this time Reid manages to stay upright with his good shoulder against the wall steadying him. After some deep breaths he can walk. The stairs are an altogether different matter and Roland has to almost carry him for the last flight of steps.

Downstairs there is just the one massive vault door standing open a crack. Of course. Roland has been here already. Standing in front of it Reid can clearly see that it’s empty. And there is definitely no secret safe in the vault. However, there is a monitor displaying various security video feeds including the camera in the lobby. His heart sinks. The hostages are still huddling behind the counter.

He has to put Roland away for good –until the police enter the building. “Go inside, somewhere in the back might be another door.”

Roland hesitates.

_Please, please just go in…!_

Reid tries again. “You’ve got the keys…”

Ronald shoves Reid through the small opening. “You go first!” Reid is surprised that he manages to get back his balance without falling and slowly starts to explore the small vault with Roland constantly peaking over his shoulder.

Soon he has inspected every detail of the first shelves bringing him to those in the back. Until now Roland has blocked the way between Reid and the door. But now there is nothing left in his way. Without further thinking he throws himself in the door’s direction and laboriously pulls the heavy door with his bound hands behind his back. The pain in his shoulder explodes. Roland immediately follows him and yanks him away from the door. But all the door needed was the initial pull Reid has provided and it slams shut.

They are locked in.

There is no way Roland can escape and harm any hostages. Reid relaxes against the metal rack behind him and breathes against the pain.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, this is going to be a little more violent... Just so you're warned.

There’s a terrible loud noise as Roland punches and kicks the metal shelves furiously. The impacts are echoed in the small metal chamber creating a horrible cacophony.

Once again, Reid wishes his hands were free so that he could cover his ears. Each blow makes him jump. It’s only a matter of time until Roland’s anger will target him instead.

When Roland’s hits grow slower and less forceful Reid can hear Roland sobbing quietly. He can’t really imagine what Roland’s father has been like to his son. But Roland is no natural criminal. His father must have been very hard on him making him rob banks and act so cruel. And this heist is a downright disaster. In a few minutes Roland will be caught and probably institutionalized. His father would not have been happy.

Roland suddenly seems to awake from a daze his eyes fixed on Reid.

 A foot hits the agent in the stomach and all air is pressed out of his lungs. Reflexively he pulls his legs close protecting his midsection. The next blow connects with his injured shoulder and he screams as the agony flames up anew.

“Stop! Please!”

Roland has lost it. The right words won’t help. He will just keep on beating until the agents will come.

Another hit on Reid’s bound arms behind his back stretches the bullet wound and tears stream down his face. Roland has found his weak spot and grabs Reid’s hands pulling the screeching agent up to his knees.

Black spots appear in Reid’s vision. He has to stop this. He has to find some way to derail Roland. To break his train of thought. Get back the uncontrolled rage to make him stop methodically torturing him.

 “You don’t want to do this.”  Reid swallows back another tortured wail. “It’s your father, right?”

“You don’t talk about my father to me!” Roland is screaming spit flying at Reid.

_Direct hit._

The veins in Roland’s neck swell up dangerously and he grabs Reid’s chin forcing his head up. His face hovers just a few inches from Reid’s. “You feel oh-so-clever, don’t you! Patronizing me…!” He pushes Reid away, who sags back down to the floor groaning.

“Your father is dead! You can stop!”

“I said don’t talk about my father!” Roland throws himself at Reid punching whatever bit of him he can reach. Reid’s shoulder keeps sending spasms of pain to his racing brain but Roland’s blows grow weaker as his sobs grow louder.

 _Almost done._ Reid braces himself against a new wave of blows praying that Roland would not have much energy left to fight anymore.

 “You never liked it, did you? Did he have to hurt you to come with him?”

 “You-”

Reid’s head is knocked against the wall.

“-don’t-”

A new wave of pain erupts from his shoulder.

“-talk-”

One fist flies against the wall next to Reid’s head.

“-about him…!”

Roland collapses against the wall next to Reid.

Both men are exhausted.

Roland is crying silently.

Reid concentrates on his breathing trying not to pass out.

 “I should have shot you.”

Reid needs a moment to figure out what to answer. “But you didn’t.”

On the monitor they can see police officers guiding the hostages outside.

It won’t be long until someone will come for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End. 
> 
> Poor Reid... Now someone go give him a hug!
> 
> I hope you liked it :)


End file.
